The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday, Sept. 15, edition that the Trump administration is
pushing for a "sunset clause" in
the North American free-trade
agreement that would automatically
kill the deal after five years
unless all three sides agreed to
keep it in place.
The Globe's Adrian Morrow writes that Canada and Mexico immediately
rejected the idea, arguing that
it would create unnecessary
uncertainty for businesses, which
would not want to make investments
without reassurance that
market access between the three
countries is here to stay.
Such a provision, if inserted
into NAFTA, would all but guarantee
that the current trade-related
drama would play out in
the United States again in five
years time.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur
Ross confirmed the sunset
proposal on Thursday, saying
both he and U.S. Trade Representative
Robert Lighthizer, who is
overseeing the NAFTA renegotiations,
are in favour of the idea.
The three countries are trying
to finish the deal by the end of
the year to allow President Donald Trump to
fulfill a key campaign pledge and
ensure talks do not run into the
campaign period for Mexico's
presidential election next year.
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